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St Kilda has a chip on its shoulder heading into the 2019 season, as the critics hover and the setbacks bite.

Saints recruit Dean Kent said last weekend's pre-season win over North Melbourne was important for their young team, and they intend to carry that form into Sunday's game against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat.

Then comes the round one game on March 24 against Gold Coast.

It'd been a rough few days for the Saints leading into the North game, with a long-term back injury sidelining Jake Carlisle and star onballer Jack Steven taking leave due to mental health issues.

The Saints have endured a tumultuous summer after last year's awful season, with plenty of changes, ongoing speculation about the future of coach Alan Richardson and star recruit Dan Hannebery's hamstring injury.